Guess We Need To Talk About GUITAR SMASHING Now.

[@bradzillarocks]

You missed Krist Novoselic from Nirvana smashing his bass at the '92 MTV awards where he tossed it in the air and caught it with his face.

[@TheArtofGuitar]

That's like a reverse smash.. :)

[@ULT_P3GGY]

@@TheArtofGuitaryeah the bass wanted revenge

[@thedutchdjentleman]

The funny part is that the bass was fine, but he had a huge bump on his head

[@deemusiclv]

Classic moment

[@muleblues71]

🤣🤣🤣

[@myopicautisticmetal9035]

heh, I own the Dimarzio humbucker from Kurt Cobains' guitar he smashed in Seattle when they were on tour for in utero, my friend Mike Dees opened for them with his band Fitz of Depression and scavenged the pickup after the show and later gave it to me as a gift. Don't care if anyone believes me.

[@wmvnotmp4]

That's awesome

[@cozm8]

Holy shit that is cool as hell!

[@lorenzoblum868]

When guitar smashing becomes legit.

[@101Volts]

You might want to contact Eric from NirvanaGuitars about that, he's seen a few of Kurt's actual instruments in person (well, one + what was left of another) and he's done great cover work for chasing guitar tone.

[@gigalad3129]

if this is real bro actually has a humbucker worth tens of thousands of dollars

[@patjacksonpodium]

My one and only guitar smashing experience I saw from the stage. I was the bassist for a band and we were playing a Battle of The Bands. The stage was a converted semi flatbed, so we were about 6ish feet above the ground. At the end of our set, the guitar player, Jerry, drags his amp to the front of the stage, stands on it, and then throws his guitar straight into the air. The thing falls straight down to the ground below, probably about 20 feet all told, and lands face first in the dirt. I had no idea he was planning on doing that, and my guts turned to ice, because not only was I the bassist, I was also the guitar tech. That guitar was Jerry's baby. It was HEAVILY modified inside and out, and it was never not at his side. He literally took it everywhere with him and played constantly. Jerry was also chronically broke. So the situation was: 1) Jerry is going to expect me to fix his guitar after what he just impulsively did. 2) I already know that he 100% just MESSED his baby up BAD...most likely far beyond my capability to fix. 3) He can NOT afford a new guitar. 4) I am NOT buying him another because I am still paying off the bass and amp I bought for the band. So I think to myself "Oh my god...I think Jerry may have just killed the band..." And yeah, that ended up being our last gig. I did fix it but it never did play the same ever again. On the plus side we did win The Battle of The Bands.

[@Omicron9999]

Okay, now that right there was a dumbass move I gotta admit. People, don't break your shit if you haven't got a backup, can't afford to replace what you just broke, and/or the thing is important to you personally. What kinda guitar was it?

[@timetraveler_0]

What's Jerry upto these days?

[@insertusersname8277]

@@timetraveler_0probably doing drugs

[@dank6852]

@@timetraveler_0 Race Car Driver. He never did win no checker flag but never did come in last.

[@ConanTroutmann]

​@@dank6852I've heard he has a Bocephus sticker on his 442 and he lights them up just for fun

[@palprotien5072]

The guy in the video is an Indian singer. This actually caused a huge uproar in India because intentionally breaking your stuff is considered very disrespectful here

[@meadish]

This will probably sound strange, but I guess in his particular case, maybe it was somehow warranted then - because it caused the kind of effect it first had on Western audiences when Pete Townshend did it. Seeing a Western musician breaking instruments now is infinitely uninspiring, boring and pointless - let's see something creative/shocking that HASN'T already been done thousands of times.

[@BaronVonQuiply]

@@meadish I once played a gig where one of the other bands got paid that same night. Never saw it before or since.

[@casualgamers3369]

From what I get smashing a guitar is like telling an offensive joke. You either get people laughing along or horrified depending on the context and situation.

[@decrox13]

@@meadishwestern audiences weren’t exposed to breaking stuff on stage because of Pete Townshend. British people need to get over themselves.

[@DamnedEyez]

Never been a fan of destroying instruments (or even modifying limited quantitiy ones)...but I also fall into the "if they bought it, they can do whatever they want in it." mindset.

[@johnfromnj885]

It's their property that's true, but I can also say it's stupid.

[@Tony78432]

Smashing guitars is just plain stupid, modifying them not so much. As long as the mods are reversible, and they keep the original parts I don’t see the big deal.

[@DamnedEyez]

@@Tony78432 I'm talking cutting or drilling mods, not just swapping parts.

[@meadish]

After Townshend, every single time it happens, it becomes more and more pointless and cliché.

[@theDragoon007yaboiCJ]

@@DamnedEyez I dont like putting limited instruments in such high pedestal because thats literally what makes them so expensive. Thats how they control the market. Unless youre talking about very custom made instruments artistically made by skilled luthiers. In that case I would respect the builders work and I agree.

[@derekarmstrong1408]

I work in the industry, and saw Green Day smash their gear at RFK in the 90's then come back for an acoustic encore. I was talking with an industry friend 20 years later and found out that he works with the rental house who's drum sets were destroyed there and up in Philly the next day. They had no idea their sets weren't coming back. Rich dick move, IMO.

[@patrickfouhy9102]

They must have had a bad rental agreement. I used to work for a company who did backline in the 90s, (you know who was around here back then haha) and there was a pretty specific "you break it, you buy it" clause in the agreement.

[@InvisibleJiuJitsu]

@@patrickfouhy9102 probably was, but what if that kit is supposed to be rented out the next day to someone else?

[@TheGravygun]

@@InvisibleJiuJitsu boohoo

[@panconartist]

@@TheGravygun woow soo edgyyy

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

Green Day got me into music, sadly, now I have no respect for them. Not just for smashing instruments, mainly them running their mouths.

[@cc_1983]

Mike Mccready bartering his guitar into the pedals was painful

[@joshsifert6256]

Right!? I gasped when I saw the parts fly off of it.

[@thomasbonnett4800]

@@DMSProduktions Was waiting for that. 🤪

[@jaidenfishbein5454]

right?! i cringed so hard when i saw that

[@MrPAULONEAL]

I don't think you know what that means...

[@sabpac459]

I liked it

[@hector8927]

I am unsure the context around a guitar smashing in Coachella. But I think the intention is different. The clash's photo is Iconic because the bass is being smash in a burst of energy. Like the energy has build up so much that there is no valve to release it. What do you do? Turn primal. People gets excited over that shit. Now, if you are having technical difficulties and smash your guitar in frustration, that is not positive energy, that feels more like a tantrum than anything else.

[@sissy_christ666]

So Nine Inch Nails were just throwing a tantrum at Woodstock 94?

[@jonathanwebster7091]

This.

[@101Volts]

Comparably, when Kurt Cobain's Red / Orange Fender *Mustang* stopped working on stage (or maybe it was the pedal) in early February 1994 and he just tossed the guitar, it felt to me like "I've had more than enough, I'm done. Take the wheel, Pat." They had Pat on 2nd guitar with the same guitar parts, so it didn't really matter that Kurt's didn't work. And yes, it's a *Mustang,* and not a Jagstang that I kept hearing people repeat without knowing it. If you get a photo from the right angle, you can see it easily.

[@casualgamers3369]

@not_lovingpeople_inc yes

[@matturner6890]

Great point there OP

[@jeremysmetana8583]

Blackmore's guitar smashing is part of an epic ragefest that went on for like ten minutes, where he dropped several guitars off the stage and smashed his amps. It's a joy to behold. My band were local heroes for awhile in and around our town. About a year after we broke up we did a "reunion" gig where our bass player smashed his Yamaha (a decent bass, actually for the price) at the end of the show, after our cover of "I Love Livin' In The City" by Fear. The crowd exploded in roaring applause, and one dude ran on stage to grab parts of the bass, then skittered off. It was pretty awesome.

[@matturner6890]

Awesome story, underrated song!!

[@zaturnneo]

I saw James Hetfield kick the shit out of an acoustic guitar on a stand, during the Hardwired tour. It kept going out of tune (cos raining) and he got pissed.

[@GrayD_Fox]

well that guitar was misbehaving

[@matturner6890]

@@GrayD_Fox tf you are everywhere

[@BaconFire]

I was in teen punk band - the neck had already given way on my pawn store no name flying v. The strings were so high during rehearsal that I cut loose and broke it in half. I was working at a guitar factory and took it apart and we glued and clamped the neck joint back together. Took it home, reassembled and setup and played it for many years in many gigs to follow. 35+ years later, it still plays and sounds amazing - mohagany still showing where neck broke. Maybe gave it some mojo? I'm older now and would NEVER smash a guitar again, even it its not repairable you can still repurpose it as wall art.

[@timo6830]

Regarding that clip of The Who, Keith Moon didn't tell the band he set a charge in his drumkit. He also used about 10x the recommended amount of gunpowder because, well, he was Keith Moon! Townshend's hair actually caught fire, he was deaf for 20 minutes and probably concussed. Moon caught shrapnel from his cymbal in his arm. ( you can see him.grab his arm & run off stage).

[@Richard0503]

I remember reading an old Total Guitar magazine and there was a bit about the 'worst' interviews and guests they had ever had. A guitarist was mentioned. (I think it might have been Linkin Park's but I could very easily have that wrong - it was so many years ago ) The photgrapher wanted him to smash a guitar for the cover photo and he didn't want to because it was useable and he felt a kid could use it if no one wanted it anymore. When I was a teenager I read that and thought he was kinda lame. Now I'm older and I really respect him lol

[@casualgamers3369]

I think it's pretty cool of him to just do what he wants instead of doing what the photographer told him to do.

[@matthewwalker9597]

I still have that issue. It was Linkin Park's guitarist but he declined to smash the guitar in case he hurt his wrist as he was on tour. The magazine took the Michael about how "un-Rock N' Roll" it was but you could also argue that it was professionalism if you consider the implications if he had injured himself mid-tour for the sake of a photo shoot.

[@RastaSaiyaman]

What Pete Townshend would do, is piece the guitars he rendered to splinters back together and save the good ones for regular play and use the repaired ones for smashing. Otherwise, it would have cost him too much money to maintain. That's also the reason why he played Fenders for the longest time, they are easy to repair. Likewise, Paul Stanley used prop guitars with their necks sawed almost all the way through, so they'd snap on impact.

[@lorenzoblum868]

After seeing the positive response from his first smashing, the manager ask Townshend to make it a ritual...

[@crlaw75]

Some guitars pieced together for smashing would be a Fender Stratocaster body with a Telecaster neck and vice versa. One had a Fender Telecaster body with a Danelectro neck.

[@johnwinnard5589]

I broke my leg in 2001, was wheeling around in a desk chair when a squirrel came thru the dog door and attacked me. I grabbed the closest thing, my first guitar, a 1982 Arbor Les Paul copy, and started swinging it. Broke into splinters. 🤣

[@garnetgun]

Must have come for your nuts😅

[@bluekai9577]

May that guitar rest in peace. Or in pieces I guess

[@SchecterIsKING]

Wait. Really?? That HILARIOUS. 😂😂😂

[@pedro-e-o-lobo]

When Hendrix set his guitar on fire it was a meaningful sacrifice ritual

[@meadish]

Hendrix did it because he knew he had to somehow outshine The Who. Good move.

[@jxorz6013]

And he was one of many artists who had prepared/prop guitars for the occasion. The neck joint thing in the vid is correct but it goes away beyond that.

[@pedro-e-o-lobo]

@@meadish you should research a bit more

[@ButcherKC]

I could be wrong but I feel like I read a story years ago that he stole that guitar from another band that was performing that night to use as the sacrifice.

[@r3lativ]

Best guitar smashing incident is from Tarantino's Hateful Eight when Kurt Russell smashed a 145-year-old Martin acoustic (not knowing it was valuable). You have to love it when actors improvise.

[@temandkk]

😂

[@guitarcheology]

The Spinal Tap version would be pitching the idea of repairing a broken guitar on stage.

[@davewhomri]

I think it all started with Townshend . They were playing a small club with a low ceiling and he accidentally rammed the neck through the ceiling. It got such a reaction that he started doing it on a regular basis. He said it was “auto destructive art” Not to be left out, Moon joined in too. I agree that it can look really cool if done sparingly and under the right circumstances, but that example you showed from Coachella was pretty lame.

[@duane8829]

Paul Simonon said he regretted smashing his good bass rather than his backup. Never found one he liked as much.

[@davedecker1725]

But it made such an iconic image on the cover of London Calling. Price you gotta pay 😅

[@georgeprice4212]

Paul also said that they took it to Fender to get it repaired, and Fender said that there was too much damage done.

[@duane8829]

@@davedecker1725 What a moment captured forever

[@johnnyjohnsonmusic]

I never understood the whole smashing guitars thing. As a poor kid it always broke my heart to watch idiots smashing these beautiful instruments I could never hope to own. Fast forward 30 years and I now have a studio with beautiful guitars adorning the walls which I treasure and play everyday, I worked hard to have the pleasure of owning such well crafted instruments and I wouldn't dream of doing them damage.

[@Fracassi1]

It's not rock n roll if it's overdone. I still think the L7 tampon incident is the most rock n roll thing ever and I'm certainly glad that isn't repeated again and again by others.

[@satanism_rocks]

*tampon incident* that sounds very mysterious

[@SO-ym3zs]

The entire world is glad it's not repeated by others :) But seriously, you're right, that was surely one of the most rock and roll incidents in the history of the genre. Up there with the antics of GG Allin and Wendy O Williams.

[@Aeduo]

Was it used?

[@bulkvanderhuge9006]

What about "Rage Against" where the female lead singer peed all over the face of an audience member.

[@diegovaldes1408]

The WHAT incident?????

[@adriennethegozerian4924]

I'm 47, so I've seen quite a lot of guitar-smashing by now - but I have to be honest, it was always very off-putting to me. Not in an "OMG I'm so offended!" kind of way - but I just never liked it, for two reasons. One is that I feel like it's almost disrespecting the instrument, and it makes me think that "that guy is in it for the chicks, not the music" - which I know is a bit silly of me, but it's just that I can't imagine ever grabbing my first crappy, half-broken electric guitar and smashing it into the ground. I still take care of that piece of crap, and I would cry if I accidently knocked it over and broke it 😂 Another reason, and I know this sounds so holier-than-thou, but I just remember being a kid who desperately wanted a guitar, knowing it was going to take a lot of work and patience to be able to get just that piece of crap guitar I mentioned before - and then some rich dude just smash them every night, right in front of my nose. It's a bit petty of me, I know, but it almost felt like being hungry, and watching someone take one bite from a giant plate of food and just throw the rest in the trash. So - guitar smashing doesn't offend me, it's their money to waste, but I'm just not a fan 😂

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

I smashed a broken classical acoustic once, I thought it was junk, but then my friend asked for it back... I felt so bad I gave her my spare electric guitar and a little Marshall practice amp, she was happy about it, but I will never break another instrument. In fact, I like building guitars now, so a bad guitar can be a project.

[@gringogreen4719]

Well, some brands have guitars that are playable but not good enough to be sold so sometimes these are given to artists to play a gig with with the understanding that the guitar needs to be smashed before the end of the show. Usually it's a bigger named artist who has an endorsement with that brand. I have killed an amp with my Tele and I ended up taking the brand logo (Fender badge from a failing GDEC) and put it on my Squier. The tip of the headstock still has the scratches from it. I smashed an acoustic one time (it really was not playable) and to be honest it was not as cool as you think it would be. Now I don't bother with crap gear, I just throw it away or don't accept it.

[@xyz8655]

I have a very similar story to you. 1979, huge KI$$ fan, had a short scale 70s bass and smashed it on Dads cement garage floor after I bought a full scale. Harder than you think. Took a lot of work to smash it. Wish I hadn't now. I didn't realise at the time that Paul $tanley had his 'smashing only' guitars pre neck cut 3/4s of the way through. Man I wish I still had that little bass now. Would never do it again. But then I saw Wendy O Williams from the Plasmatics, chain saw her guitar in half and I started giving my cheap little black strat a sideward glance, but I'm glad I couldn't get the chainsaw started. Still got that strat.

[@Entrenous98]

Rockers smashing their guitars onstage is kind of an equivalent of rappers showing off their money in music videos. "I'm a rich douche", but arguable worse, cause the money now also get wasted

[@alanpang8223]

Yeah I've never really enjoyed people smashing Guitars. I've made a few in my time & it seems pretty disrespectful. On one hand someone might give their left kidney for a decent guitar and on the other some idiot just smashes them...

[@Aeduo]

Oh yeah if the guitar was something someone put a lot of work in to i could definitely see that. If it's just some cheap mass produced, mostly automated one then I guess it's not so big a deal.

[@matturner6890]

Well, were they going to get *that* guitar that got smashed? No. This is a silly thing to think IMO. If you really want a guitar, you'll get one, and especially now it's never been easier to get a good cheap one. If someone smashed *your* guitar that you made, then yeah, that is awful, but someone else doing it to their own thing that they bought? Silly thing to get upset by.

[@blunderr6113]

I maintain that the only time I ever think a "guitar smash" has actually worked was Jimi Hendrix's Monterey guitar burning. It felt like a beautiful ritual or something, unlike guys who needlessly destroy instruments because it's "cool". Hendrix's felt like it had a real purpose.

[@georgeprice4212]

In a way, it was a sacrifice…but, in another, it one upped The Who. (Story is that the stagehands were still picking up from The Who’s Set during The Grateful Dead’s set!)

[@yaminub]

I think Ritchie had "stunt" guitars he would smash during the Rainbow years. He would switch from his primary stratocaster to a stunt stratocaster for an encore song, and then smash it (and maybe a second one in the process!)

[@SimoAnto96]

Yes, that's right!

[@bluerazor7049]

Same with Kurt, he'd switch his Jaguar or Mustang with a cheap Stratocaster to smash it.

[@thomasbonnett4800]

I remember a documentary about the “Moscow Music Peace Festival,” where multiple American metal bands played in the late ‘80s. Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue smashed his bass and tossed the pieces into the crowd. Some guy was interviewed and said the crowd was horrified. Amateur musicians in Moscow at the time could barely find/afford strings, never mind a beautiful, expensive instrument. Nikki was unintentionally tacky by doing this, sort of living up to the “spoiled American” stereotype. But still…kinda cool.

[@Omicron9999]

Guess it sucks to live in Moscow then.

[@thomasbonnett4800]

@@Omicron9999 That’s the rumor.

[@georgeprice4212]

I remember seeing that on MTV! A lot of the bands were told that they couldn’t use pyrotechnics during their sets. When Bon Jovi Did, that pissed off Mötley Crüe to where they ended their set by destroying their equipment (Mick trashed his guitar and Tommy Lee not only wrecked his kit, but mooned the audience as well.)

[@lorenzoblum868]

Why smash things? What is the point? 99,9% of the time it's theatrical. Not spontaneous. It's also quite offensive for someone who can't afford one, regardless if you're from Russia, Peru or Australia. Don't ask me about Bora Bora. After Peter Townshend smashed his guitar on a live stage for the first time, it was his manager who said he should do it again because... Well you know, the gossip and the myth and the rebel attitude but at that point it wasn't genuine anymore. So everyone is desperate to appear subversive but at the end they have accountants and get taxe deduction.

[@pandemic7]

Cobain’s gear destructions were the most visceral and intense that I ever saw.

[@jfiery]

Stone from Pearl Jam destroyed his at one of the first Lollapalooza before they were huge. It was pretty Epic.

[@turboteabag08]

It seemed Trent Reznor made it his mission to destroy something on stage during every performance

[@TheIslandDivision]

"When an instrument fails you on stage, it is mocking you. It must be destroyed." Trent Reznor

[@snowdevil7727]

Paul Stanley playing a gorgeous Ibanez and then walking the side of the Marshall cabinets to switch it out with a roadie for the cheap strat knockoff to smash. Lamest thing I’ve ever seen, but I was glad he didn’t destroy a fine instrument.

[@old-fashionedcoughypot]

Yeah... Yeah, l him do that last year when l seen KISS on their "final" tour in Vancouver. A septuagenarian millionaire pretending to have a hissy fit. Gene "Old Pubehead" Simmons was kinda gross. He sucked on his microphone for a little bit during a little interlude of banter. Families with kids in the audience must of enjoyed that.

[@drowningin]

I never understood the smashing the guitar thing even back then. I always thought “just give it to a kid after the show” if they did that instead of smashing them we may have way more bands now

[@kamukameh]

7:12 - Hehehe, wouldn't smash that guitar of yours too! But I wouldn't smash any guitar anytime, destroying stuff of value (at least two thousand bucks in your case, but my 550€-guitar is also valuable enough to not smash it) is ignorant and degenerated, I'm totally on your side! The final sketch was on point, kudos! If I got the money to smash guitars after every gig, I would give them to some young people who want to play but cannot afford a guitar instead.

[@satanism_rocks]

I have 2 favorite guitar smashes number one is Jimi's monterey sacrifice number two's that one time Krist played baseball with Kurt's guitar

[@BugRib]

Krist playing baseball is cool because it's something original (as far as I know). Another awesome thing I've seen Krist and Kurt do is basically have a guitar "sword" fight. Also original (as far as I know), not to mention totally awesome, and downright hilarious! 😂

[@stevenbodo965]

I inherited an classical guitar from my sister and I put metal strings on it. The top started warping and over time it became un-tuneable. One day on a road trip we decided to crush it on the rocks ...because that would ... rock. It bounced back like it was nobody's business. Took about 3-4 hits to kill it.

[@woody8577]

I would always pass an instrument down to someone before destroying it. Now, if it’s beyond playability, might be another story.

[@MASAo7]

That's pretty cruel though: "hey here's a guitar for you" and then sneak into their house and smash it. 😁

[@jonathanwebster7091]

Yeah if it's impossible to play... Although having said that, you'd have to go a long way for an instrument to be *completely* unrepairable. I wouldn't smash an instrument if there was a chance of fixing it.

[@jamesnorton7601]

We grew up to poor to be abusive to fine guitars. Trent Reznor at Woodstock. The flying Les Paul Billy Howerdel plays. I still cry out '' Guitars aren't supposed to fly!''

[@3rdStoreyChemist]

Having done it myself and seen other local bands at the time do similar or worse, it was always a massive "Fuck You" at somebody and it always got a reaction. In my case it actually resulted in the other band being banned from the venue, weirdly and the venue owner LOVED what we did. It is a great release, but the "planned" destroying of equipment that you see larger bands doing every show is cringey because it's not a statement. Plus if it's a Fender type design, they actually survive better than you'd think. My attitude has always been that we shouldn't baby our guitars or put them on pedestals, they are tools and if you're afraid to damage them, you won't get the best out of them.

[@TheArtofGuitar]

I have no idea why KZbin wasn't allowing comments for the first 40 minutes that this was up but whatever...Comment again if you want. ;)

[@debomb721]

A lot of rock stars like Hendrix have designated smashing guitars with break away neck that is gonna put the guitar back together to be put back together, just like the Paul Stanley thing

[@frmadeira]

John Hiatt - Perfectly Good Guitar, nice tune and on point

[@MrSheymie]

In order for guitar smashing to occur, there has to be paying customers and cameras present.

[@ThomasLeeHowell]

3:00 that guitar was kicking your ass for being cruel. I am glad it taught you a valuable lesson.

[@keenannotkel]

Honestly, I feel like doing ANYTHING from the “rockstar” era is insanely difficult to make look cool.

[@matthewmartin9313]

Good point with London Calling cover. Absolutely iconic

[@mylogify]

They must smash the Jimmy Page limited Double Neck Gibson :D.

[@georgeprice4212]

Pete Townshend already did, loooong before it was known for Jimmy Page’s use.

[@lanatrzczka]

But only if they strike the Double Neck with his actual '59 # 1. That would be the best way to destroy history.

[@crlaw75]

When it was repaired, the necks had a V in them.

[@jonvia]

Only do it when you have a sponsorship lol I wanna know how many guys, after turning their guitar into kindling the night prior, had to barter an electric guitar at a used gear music shop for tickets to their show that night.

[@thebreakfastmenu]

I've smashed one guitar. It was already hopelessly broken. But it was a lot of fun. I'd never do it with a functional or reparable guitar. But I also don't baby my guitars either. I've definitely thrown one of my Strats across a stage before. It's a Strat, it's fine. Ya know?

[@Qualifimajesco]

I can’t believe we’re already living in a timeline where people can get easily offended about breaking guitars. People who get offended on that seem silly to me.

[@Ottophil]

Ive smashed a bunch of super strats in the 90’s but I play gibsons and fenders now. So far only broke 1/4 gibson headstocks, total accident. But ill chalk up to karma

[@jeremysmetana8583]

That's not karma, that's a feature of Gibsons.

[@ImnotgoingSideways]

Watching him talk about guitar smashing while holding a pristine LP Custom... I held my breath the whole time.

[@j.r.shartzer]

The magic of a smashed instrument was lost to me when I learned people were breaking the same guitar every night and having their guitar techs reassemble it after each show to be smashed again the next night (that also makes breaking it a lot easier). It really is just theater. I'm not against it, but once it becomes part of your nightly production, the intended spirit is lost. The Who's explosion on the Smothers Brothers was spontaneous, shocking, negligent, and dangerous. Their audience was uncomfortable, scared, and didn't know how to respond, I love everything about it. Hendrix was having a BBQ with his guitar on stage. You're going to give a man on that much heroin a bottle of lighter fluid in a crowded room and encourage shenanigans? Fantastic! Whatever that is, it transcends theater because you could really die. Billie Joe Armstrong is going to be charged with manslaughter for skewering a fan with a guitar neck someday, and I can't wait! The world needs rock stars. Keep your audience on their toes. Ever been to a Dillinger Escape Plan Show? Noone is safe. And it's great!

[@Rockin23]

You missed out that the Clash album was a copy of Elvis Presley's debut studio album cover

[@variousthings6470]

My favourite (attempted) guitar-smashing was a televised 2015 show by the Manic Street Preachers in Cardiff. Guitarist takes the bass, and repeatedly tries to smash it... but it just doesn't break. So he shouts out "Toughest guitar in the world!"

[@metalrules1135]

No mention of Hendrix at Monterey? Man, you dropped the ball on this one.

[@Aeduo]

I imagine similarly people in the past might've been bothered by guitar smashing, you probably just didn't hear from them like you can today. Honestly, I doubt many people are all that bothered by it today even. I could see it though, either a guitar is kinda out of one's reach or maybe some dream guitar they want or if it's like, an especially good guitar that they would prefer to have if theirs is maybe junk (or at least maybe, the idea that some other guitar is better), so they maybe see a lot more value for that one specific thing and they see it just being destroyed rather than getting used, I could see being a bit bothered. Among the things that people should be offended by, this is pretty inconsequential. To be fair, a lot of stuff that people find problems with today and are being spoken up about that people weren't in the past or not having a voice to do so, do have quite a bit of validity to them. But yeah, some folks just try to find silly crap like this to make a big stink about rather than just a reasonable expression of an opinion because they're more about making it about them than saying anything important. This didn't hurt anybody, didn't cause anybody suffering, etc etc. Maybe the more important argument should be making instruments more available to public education and public resources for people to use.

[@hervedelille2468]

The dumbest thing to do is smashing a guitar..what we love about players is the way they play and that 's it

[@Aeduo]

Every part of the show is part of the performance. Not that I necessarily agree with smashing but the playing and the dancing and everything else is part of it.

[@dinkystick]

Meh it's yours to do what you want with it

[@Pancakesgoguitar]

Similar to yours, Mike, I had this crappy little classical guitar with half steel strings on that my sisters friend found in the dump and gave it a pink paint job. It was my first real guitar, so when I got another one from my parents on Christmas, I immediately went outside with the pink one and just smashed it every where. Broke first try, surprisingly! Haven't broken one since, though.

[@thedutchdjentleman]

I think one of the coolest examples of guitar smashing in the modern era has to be A Place To Bury Strangers. They go through 2/3 guitars in a set, but they always glue them back together afterwards which results in some really cool and weird guitars

[@johndeaux3703]

Smashing guitars was dumb in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and is still just as dumb now. It was dumb no matter who was doing it. "But rock stars do it, so it must be cool." Rock stars choke to death on their own vomit regularly too.

[@ButcherKC]

In regards to that electric feeling that shot up your arms you need to find the The Center of Percussion when swinging your axe. Look up the video “The Professor - Center of Percussion”, dude was friends with Einstein and did a bunch of really informative videos back in the day where he keeps things simple while using props so they are easy to follow, he has a bunch that apply to music theory of making sounds as well.

[@TheRockinDonkey]

I smashed a classical guitar back in the day. It wasn't on stage or in front of anybody, but when the body shattered it was such an awesome feeling. That guitar had been so abused over the years. At one time I had put electric guitar strings on it. I'm amazed that alone didn't destroy it. I will only add that I never was impressed watching someone smash an electric guitar. But seeing an acoustic guitar get smashed is something to behold. Just watch Weird Al's "You Don't Love Me Anymore" and you'll know what I mean.

[@bryandraughn9830]

I used to destroy a bunch of my stuff when I was a teenager because I was losing my mind. A couple of guitars might have gotten into the mix there. It was a really angry period of my life. I don't care what someone else does with their stuff. It's, their stuff. Not mine.

[@Hallow334]

One of the most heinous acts of guitar breaking I remember as a kid was the end of Warrant's video for Down Boys. They are playing all these nice, custom BC Rich guitars and at the end of the video, they all throw all their guitars up in the air and they come crashing down. As a teen I couldn't believe they did that to those nice guitars. When I got a little older and I paid closer attention, I noticed they were just throwing some cheap BC. Rich guitars (probably used ones at that) so it didn't hurt as bad.

[@cacophonic7]

I just couldn’t. I could never plan on doing something like that. However, if the Rock Gods take notice of me one day and during a particularly worthy performance they bless me with a rock-trance, it might happen…

[@wisterialosenge2546]

i used to smash my 1990 series 10 a lot, smashed it at a school talent show, basically threw it 10 feet in the air, and some other theatrical swingings and whacks, let the floyd rose fall out when it hit. also kicked in a peavey amp speaker at the same time, but the speaker was already blown, so it was all prop gag really. i beat the heck out of that guitar, only managed to break off the high E tuning peg throwing it across my bedroom into the wall, so i had to re-drill that. but the frets and everything else are still in great condition 30 years later, except that the floyd rose was diy wrongly installed to begin with, so i plan on fixing that one of these days. recorded 7 records with that guitar.

[@Nickshreds890]

I care too much for my instruments to ever hurt them ! If you’re smashing guitars then you better be giving some nice guitars away to people because I know a lot of people would be so grateful to own a decent guitar or any guitar at all . While there are guitarists I love, like Matt Bellamy who smash guitars .. I suspect he would regret doing it with the guitars that have a fuzz factory built in , Kaoss pad installed sand sustainiac pickups as that is a mighty fancy guitar !! Anyway I’m here because of your great story telling Mike :) rock on !

[@coldloner7453]

I don’t mind smashing guitars, it’s their money, their guitar. And I think personally now it goes more against the grain then ever, I see it as a statement as I don’t care screw everything.

[@BaronVonQuiply]

I smashed a pearl white SG one night at a new years gig, splintered wood and electronics everywhere, it was epic 🤘 The band had the bar kick me out and I had to pay for it 😥

[@idijai]

The same complaints were made back then. A lot of people like to think they're Rock & Roll but few are.

[@ConglomerationCat]

If there's one individual that did it with aggression, fiery and from the gut was Pete Townshend. Just watch how he presented it after My Generation from Monterey Pop... It's very startling... especially as a young kid. I had knots in my stomach because it never seemed planned or a set up. It was 120% adrenaline and a dangerous level of outburst. Even just him throwing it up in the air, twirling it, shaking it, bouncing it off amps, the stage, etc. Everyone else that copied it seemed staged, artificial and sometimes down right silly. But The Who meant it...They did it in such a visual manner that it was auto destruction. In a lot of ways it was art. I smashed my first guitar at a talent show in 8th grade and we were in the middle of these lip syncing acts such as Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, pop, dance bands and we were the only ones who actually played live. Thrift store level guitars and amps so we weren't completely out of pocket. There was a little laughter coming from the students as we were plugging in and I went up to the mic and said "This is where it all...ends" just like Pete Townshend says at Monterey and we launched into My Generation and at the end, I rubbed my guitar on the mic stand, threw it in the air almost 20 feet and let it drop, instant feedback. Then I smashed it in the same fiery as Townshend from Monterey but with my own level of adrenaline because of the laughter I heard when we were setting up before the song. It was the most incredible release because the timing was just right. I dont remember it hurting at all...just complete adrenaline going through my veins. No one had any clue this was going to occur. So the very next day, we won the contest and most students gave us blankets of compliments because it was "real". It was all in the way we gave it our all and to a degree, made a statement. It was breathtaking to make that bench mark.

[@decrox13]

The Who's music just never warranted it, and watching them do it in any era past the 60s looks silly. The Who is one of those bands that really shouldn't have been as popular as they were, but because society loves to overrate everything British, they're there.

[@jimwoodard64]

You actually missed one of the first times that people got offended by a guitar player, smashing his guitar. Believe it or not it was Garth Brooks, and his guitar player, Ty, England, I believe. He was playing in Texas if I remember correctly and he and Ty walk up to each other on stage and slam their expensive acoustic guitars together and they just explode. It wound up on an album cover or an album sleeve, went down in infamy. So it’s easy to find if you search for Garth Brooks smash guitar.

[@keithbcarlson]

If you're feeling it that intensely and in turn breaking your instruments is cathartic for you, I'm all for it!

[@Skeleton_Dork]

You couldn't possibly be getting the most out of your 15000 dollar guitar unless you're destroying it beyond possible repair wait a minute

[@mooreoutdoor9841]

I had a Hondo Explorer style bass back in the 80s and smashed it. It took several whacks but it finally broke. It was pretty solid and vibrated my hands too. I seemed to remember it had some issues and I had already bought a better bass. I have mixed feelings about it now. I would love to have it since I know how to adjust them now, but I was around 20 years old and that was a pretty Metal thing to do. A guitar would have to be complete garbage for me to destroy one now.

[@jugglerj0e]

Craziest thing was when Keith Emerson would smash up his Hammond B3 Organs. Those things are BIG and weigh around 200 lbs. He would stick knives in them to effect the sound. But he also beat the Hell out of them. His organ tech & the Hammond company hated this. Sometimes they would try to fix the organs. These giant things are harder to replace than a guitar or bass.

[@tridoc99]

I saw Tesla open for Poison in the 80s and one of the guitarist threw an SG custom in the air intending to catch it but missed and the neck snapped off. I wanted one of those sooo bad at the time. I almost cried.

[@Necropheliac]

You’ll never catch me smashing a guitar. Not while I can sell it on Craigslist.

[@muleblues71]

Seeing a video of Jimi lighting one on fire=Next Level. I smashed my 1st guitar like that also in the garage. Garage sale guitar for $10. McCready smashed his amps and pedalboard

[@danhguitardemos]

Nirvana being one of my biggest influences I quite like the idea of smasher guitars. If you’re feeling like smashing an instrument to to a pawn shop and buy the cheapest one they got, grab it at the end of the set and just *abuse it*

[@RELAXcowboy]

My fav will always be Hendrick lighting his guitar on fire.

[@nathanlibertyreal]

The first guitar smash I ever saw in concert was when I was 8 years old and it wasn’t a rock band either. It was Chris Martin from Coldplay. After their (mixed reviewed) 5th album Mylo Xyloto came out I was lucky to see the tour. On that tour they did a version of one of their songs from their 2nd album (and my personal favorite Coldplay song of all time) God Put A Smile Upon Your Face where it was a heavy grungey version and probably the hardest Coldplay ever rocked! At the end Chris Martin would throw his fender telecaster deluxe in the air and it would come crashing down on the ground and show a slow motion instant replay on the Jumbotron. Years later I found a video of the exact concert I went to and when I watched the guitar smash clip years after being so speechless of seeing it in real life I noticed the neck had completely snapped. It didn’t separate from the body but it was definitely cracked. Looked like the titanic!

[@216trixie]

Pedantic

[@Vykk_Draygo]

But Coldplay is a rock band. I mean, don't get me wrong. I don't like their music but I still consider them rock. 🤣

[@NoCoverCharge]

Also at coke chella … some of the bands commented on how the crowd was way more into selfies then the actual music … coke chella has become a selfie festival instead of music festival

[@moudywaters]

I had a really cheap guitar as a teenager that I could never get to work. I traded an old KISS t-shirt for it so, it wasn't an expensive piece of gear. I always remember telling my best friend that I would smash it like Paul Stanley someday. I remember when I finally decided to do it in my front yard. I lit that cheap piece of junk on fire and then tried smashing it as I thought it would look cool swinging a guitar that was on fire. The flames quickly went out but I smashed that sucker and felt badass doing it. I don't remember feeling the shocks in my hands but I was like 14-15 years old and was probably too stupid at the time to notice it. I still smile when I think about it. Good times 😁

[@riskromer9773]

As a child, I was dying to get my hands on an electric guitar, then got to see a video of The Who, Pete Townsend & Co. obliterating all instruments, speakers, amps, etc on stage and I felt so heartbroken, I could've used that guitar lol years went by and I learned to develop a relationship with my instruments, I'd never ever harm them.

[@ericjenkins2737]

In ‘87 when I was a senior I picked up a pointy Hondo from a pawn shop for like $70, it was just terrible. I really only bought it as a joke, I already had a nice Kramer Baretta that I loved. The Hondo was a lost cause and would never stay in tune so I decided to sacrifice it to the metal gods. A friend and I took turns throwing it from my second story balcony to try and get it to stick into the ground like a javelin. The damn thing wouldn’t break, but we couldn’t let it win. We then drove to the Piggly Wiggly parking lot up the street (the lot was deserted since it was late at night) and proceeded to place the guitar on the ground under a rear wheel, punch the gas and make it shoot across the lot at 60mph shattering against a curb…that did the trick.

[@HalfpennyTerwilliger]

I've never been a fan of smashing guitars. First it felt weird as an aspiring musician short on cash to see a perfectly good instrument being destroyed for street cred points or something. And second I would have a hardtime voluntarily breaking any crafted objects anyway. Whether it's a guitar, a chair, or even a pen, it just feels wrong somehow to me.

[@FTFJohn]

Really enjoy your videos

[@Kim-ft4pr]

I once smashed a guitar that was supposed to go to the junkyard anyway. I used itbas an archery target and tzen smashed it. Later i found out that it was a classical guitar from the 50s that goes for a few hundred to almost a thousand bucks on reverb 😬 But it was already broken beyond repair

[@schifoso]

The "host" was Tommy Smothers. The Smothers Brothers was a entertainment show that had a lot of great acts as guest. The Who, Doors, Cream, amongst others. Real bands.

[@Santaheckler]

Man, I love this channel! 😎👍My opinion: Smashing guitars is such a fake and unoriginal move THESE days (loved when Kiss did it back in the 70’s bc it fit their show) Most of the guys get tired before the guitar even starts to break, which looks even more fake and scripted. A better move is to just drop the guitar and walk off stage…crossroads style. But most “bad boy” guitarists aren’t creative enough to think of that so they fail to impress (me atleast)

[@18JR78]

Before the internet, exposure was strictly through TV and word of mouth, so breaking your guitar at that time was a way to go ‘viral/free promo’ by getting people to talk about it. Times have changed dramatically.

[@jonathanwebster7091]

The other thing that annoys me about smashing guitars is that part of it is the 'its my property, therefore I can do whatever i like with it, including smashing it'. But thats fucking daft-its like the musical equivalent of scratching your own car. That and a musical instrument isnt just an inanimate object, its a means of getting your emotions out. And while it isnt completely unknown, a painter smashing his canvases after painting a masterpiece, or a writer ripping up the manuscript of his fantastic new novel isn't impressive -its just being destructive for the sake of it. I get the whole 'primal human energy' thing, but its still stupid.

[@Omicron9999]

Still their property, still their choice if they wanna wreck it. Stupid? Yes, in a lot of circumstances. Would I make laws against it like some people here seem to wanna do? Absolutely not. Destruction is also a form of expression sometimes. And having a choice is important, even if the choice is stupid.

[@1-eye-willy]

pual stanley was endorsed by gibson and they gave him a bunch of gibson marauder's to smash, because the marauder was one of the few times gibson made a bolt on, budget friendly guitar and supposedly paul didn't care for them, he just needed a bunch of guitars to smash

[@JustWhyFFS]

Hendrix said, when asked "why" after lighting his guitar on fire, that "It was a sacrifice. You sacrifice things you love. I love my guitar." You'll get a slightly different quote depending on the source, but the message is the same. Pretty sure it's based off the Oscar Wilde quote, "we destroy the thing we love the most." However, I feel the meaning is totally different.

[@Twy7chTec_Shop]

Never was a fan of guitar 🎸 smashing lol just as you stated buddy, I've loved this instrument since I first picked it up. If I didn't like one I'd just go back to the store and swap it for one that worked better for me. Now that my band days are behind me and I'm collecting more gear than ever. Definitely wouldn't destroy any of it. Probably get a cheap guitar and amp to give lessons, but that's about it.